


Acceptance

by nadiaselite



Series: Elite Season 2 Series [7]
Category: Elite (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Gay Rights, M/M, but eternally what i hope happens next season, kind of aggressive, truth comes out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 06:50:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18244592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadiaselite/pseuds/nadiaselite
Summary: Omar goes home to his dad trying to set the date for his wedding.





	Acceptance

Omar took one last deep breath as they stood outside the door to their house. He felt Nadia’s hand on his shoulder, but as much as he wanted that comfort to be enough to ease the pain, it wasn’t. But he still flashed a hopeful look in her direction before heading in.

Upon walking in he was greeted by his extremely cheerful Baba. It was the same façade he displayed when guests were over. Lots of joking around, excessive laughter, a large smile plastered on his face. It was what he called good hospitality.

“Omar. My son.” Baba pressed a kiss to his forehead before wrapping him up in his arms. Omar felt a twitch in his stomach. He just wanted to burst into tears. But he kept his composure.

“Baba.” He simply nodded before making his way into their living room.

“Omar. This is Mr. and Mrs. Saqqa.” Baba waved his arm towards an older couple sitting on their couch. Then he turned towards the girl sitting at the other end. “And this is their daughter Noura.”

Noura didn’t look much older than Nadia. She was a beautiful girl, there wasn’t a doubt about it. She had fair skin, green eyes, and curly hair peering out from beneath her hijab. If he was straight, perhaps he’d be interested, but all he could think about was how her hair resembled Ander’s soft brown curly hair. Or the way her lips curled into a smile the same way his did. He couldn’t get Ander off his mind. No matter how hard he’d tried.

Omar shook his thoughts quickly greeting their guests as he took a seat beside Baba. Nadia greeted everyone before heading into the kitchen to help their Umi.

“We were thinking of setting the wedding date for March. What do you think Omar?” Omar could feel his father’s eyes burning holes into his face. It wasn’t really a question because there was only one answer he could give. It was his sad reality. And judging by the look on his face he wanted this to work out more than anything.

“Yes, Baba Jaan.” Omar simply nodded his head avoiding eye contact with anyone. He couldn’t find the courage to look his father in the eyes. And he was nowhere near ready to look Noura in the eyes.

“You do want to marry Noura, right?” Mr. Saqqa’s voice was firm. But Omar kept his eyes on his fingers fidgeting in his lap.

“Of course, he does.” Baba jammed his elbow into Omar’s side causing him to jolt up in his seat.

Luckily before he could answer Nadia walked back in with a tray of tea and snacks. She flashed a knowing smile in his direction. And he felt some of the tension leave his body. With Nadia around the whole situation may just be bearable.

“Noura prays five times a day. How about you, Omar?” Mr. Saqqa narrowed his eyes down at him. But Omar wasn’t going to falter.

As Omar opened his mouth to respond Baba cut him off. “Of course, he does.” He gave Omar a gentle pat on the shoulder, his smile growing faker and faker by the second.

Omar just sat in silence nodding and agreeing with his father like some mindless robot. It was all he ever was to him or at least it was how it felt. Just his disappointing son. He had bad grades, always got in trouble at school, sold drugs, etc. There wasn’t a single thing he did that lived up to his expectations of a good son. And he still didn’t even know that he was gay.

_Inshallah, I’ll tell him soon and everything will be fine._

The rest of their lunch went by quickly. Baba and Mr. Saqqa talking about politics while Umi and Mrs. Saqqa spent their time gossiping and exchanging recipes for different dishes. Nadia spent her time distracting Noura keeping her as far away from Omar as possible.

Omar couldn’t help but feel grateful. For a long time, his relationship with Nadia was minimal, nonexistent even. But since everything that happened he’d never felt more close to her. She had easily become one of his best friends. She was one of the very few people in his life that he could truly rely on.

“Look I think we should wait a week before setting the date. I’m not convinced Omar is ready yet.” Mr. Saqqa stood up holding his hand for Baba, but his eyes remained on Omar.

Baba swallowed his anger masking it with a large smile as he said his goodbyes. It was clear from the way he glared at Omar that there was going to be a talk afterward. But it would be the perfect time to tell him he wasn’t going to marry Noura or any other woman he’d send his way.

Omar slipped into the bathroom as everyone else walked the Saqqa family out the front door. He leaned over the bathroom sink trying to catch his breath before he truly let himself explode. He wasn’t sure he was ready or if he’d ever be ready. But anything would be better than getting married. He just couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t look his father in the eyes and continue to lie to him.

He threw some cold water on his face. If he wanted to be happy, he needed to do this. He was still young, but for now the only future he saw was with Ander. And he knew for a fact that he had never loved anyone the way he loved him. He was the calm in the midst of his never-ending storm. He kept him sane. He made him happy. So happy he couldn’t go through with some false marriage with someone he knew would never live up to the impossible expectations Ander had set.

Ander was all the motivation he needed to go through this. To go to war with his father. It was something he needed to do. But not just for Ander, but for himself. If he ever wanted to live a happy life.

Upon leaving the bathroom he was immediately addressed by Baba in the hallway, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He wasn’t happy, to say the least. Omar tried to swallow the growing lump in his throat but remained unsuccessful.

“What is your problem, Omar?” Baba took a seat on the sofa once again running his hands over his face in frustration. “Noura is such a good girl. The Saqqa family is the perfect family for this type of alliance.”

“Baba this is more than just an alliance. This is my life.” Omar’s voice was louder than he had anticipated. So loud that it immediately brought Nadia and his Umi to the room. “I can’t do this.”

“What do you mean you can’t do this? Your mother and I got married when we were younger than you were.” His Baba stared up at him a clear frustration in his eyes. Like every word coming out of Omar’s mouth was just adding to his anger.

“I mean I can’t marry Noura or any other girl, ever.” The words were out of his mouth and now it was too late to back out now. He found himself almost relieved by it like a large weight he’d been carrying had been lifted from his shoulders. Judging by how flustered Baba was he knew he needed to reiterate. “Baba, I am gay.”

Before he knew it Omar’s back was pinned up against the wall, his father holding him up by the collars of his shirt. The oxygen felt like it was ripped from his lungs. His vision blurred by the tears in his eyes.

“You’re what?”

Nadia grabbed Baba by the waist pulling him off of Omar. Omar immediately fell to his knees in front of him. “And you. You knew about this?”

As he began to charge towards Nadia, Omar grabbed him by the elbow pulling him back towards him. This was his problem and he needed to handle it. So, he grabbed him by the shoulders holding him tightly in his grasp. “Baba. I’m sorry that I’m such a disappointment. I’m sorry that everything I do is wrong. But this isn’t something I can control. **_I am gay_**.”

Baba slipped out of his grasp. He was raging with anger but just didn’t know what to do. So instead he cried. He sobbed hysterically wondering where the hell he went wrong. What was he going to do? What could he do? First Amira and now Omar. He felt like he was losing a grip of reality. Losing the hold, he had on his children. He could barely recognize them anymore.

Omar got on his knees in front of his father almost as if to beg for forgiveness even though he knew damn well this wasn’t something he needed to be forgiven for. He placed his hands on his knee carefully giving it a squeeze. He could feel the pain his Baba felt. But oddly enough he’d never felt more connected to him than in this moment.

There was a deafening silence in the room. No one dared breathe in the wrong direction. Baba wouldn’t look Omar in the eyes even as he was on his knees in front of him. Nadia stood in the corner staring out the window too scared to even look in their direction. And their Umi sat on the edge of the sofa across from Baba staring at her fingers.

“Baba, talk to me.” Omar quickly stood up releasing his father’s hands as he began to pace back and forth. He’d never seen him like this. When everything with Amira happened he grabbed her by her hair and threw her out. But this time there was nothing. No type of reaction or anything. It was like he didn’t even care enough to react anymore. “Umi Jaan, please.”

She grabbed his hands carefully caressing his face. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared into her son’s eyes. She had known for a long time now but hoped that somehow it would just blow over that it was some type of faze. Even if deep down she knew it wasn’t true. Omar never knew it, but she’d seen him with Ander on more than one occasion.

At this point, all she wanted was for him to be happy. For this family to be happy. She didn’t care what anyone had to say about it. If Ander made him happy then nothing else should matter. But things weren’t so simple. Not when it came to Yusef.

“Yusef. Please.” She nearly choked on the lump in her throat as she desperately waited for a response. “I can’t lose another child because of your fears. I can’t do it again.”

“What will people say? Our family will become a mockery. We won’t be able to show our faces in our own community. All because of this boy.” Yusef’s voice echoed throughout the room. There were tears burning in his eyes threatening to break free, but he remained composed.

Nadia scoffed from the corner not once looking over her shoulder to look at him. It was always the same excuse and she was tired of it. “People? **_People?_** How about your son? How about your daughter? How about your blood? Do you not care about what we have to say at all?”

“Nadia.” Her mom tried to grab her shoulder, but Nadia quickly moved out of her way making her way towards her father.

“No. If you care more about what people have to say than us then what’s the point? What type of father could just stop loving his child because he’s scared of what people will say about his child?” Now the tears were uncontrollable, but they didn’t stop her from glaring at Baba. She could feel Omar’s arms around her, but her anger was too overwhelming for her to calm down.

“I’m sorry.” And suddenly it was like the entire world stopped spinning. Two words that could cause a shift in their reality. Baba got onto his knees ducking his head in front of Nadia and Omar. He brought his hands together in front of him. “I’m so sorry.”

Omar fell to his knees in front of him clasping his hands around his father’s. This wasn’t what he wanted. Not by a long shot. He just wanted to be accepted by his father. Just for once. Not an apology. Even if he did have a lot to apologize for. “Baba, please.”

“No. Nadia is right.” His tears fell onto the floor in front of him. His heart falling into the depths of his stomach. “I’ve cared more about my reputation than my own family. And you don’t deserve that.”

“Yusef.”

“I can’t lose you too, Omar.” He wrapped Omar in his arms. The two of them silently cried into each other’s shoulders. All the pent-up anger and frustration amongst them all had all released. The tension in the room had evaporated into thin air. “You are my son and you will always be my son. No matter what.”

Nadia fell to her knees beside them wrapping her arms around the two of them, her mother quickly following suit. The four of them stayed on their knees in silence too scared that any sudden movement would wake them up from a rough but beautiful dream snapping them back into their reality. This was the closure they needed. It was the acceptance that Omar needed.

**Author's Note:**

> My intention with this fic is not to offend anyone with how any of it was handled. Same goes for previous parts of this series. I tried to write it based around what has been shown on the show as well as how I've personally witnessed and experienced attitudes towards homosexuality in the Asian culture. If you're Muslim and have experienced things differently I completely understand, but like I said this is based around how Omar and Nadia's father Yusef has already acted on the show as well as my hopeful interpretation of how he may change in the upcoming season. Please leave me comments on whether or not you enjoyed this part of the series. I'm hoping to update sooner rather than later now that I've gotten over this very stressful bridge. 
> 
> xoxo


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